Buzz Lightyear is one of the main characters in the famous cartoon series Toy Story. The brave space keeper has come a long way from the cowboy’s chief rival Woody to his close friend and colleague. However, little is known about the great man’s backstory. Only once does Andy mention the movie the toy was based on. And now, after 27 years, we can finally watch the same blockbuster. The new Pixar cartoon, which was given the laconic title “Buzz Lightyear” (Lightyear), is dedicated to the “real” Ranger. I’ve already looked at the photo and am ready to answer the most important question of the century: is infinity really not the limit?
What were we waiting for
Since the first day of the announcement, the most incredible theories have multiplied around the Buzz Lightyear. Someone said that we would see a story about the life of the actor who played the famous space keeper. Others argued that the cartoon would be devoted solely to the adventures of a character for whom everything that happens is real.
The first trailer clarified things a bit. We got to see space flights, robots and unusual creatures. The soundtrack, Starman by David Bowie, also provided the right atmosphere.
It became clear that the cartoon was going to be quite serious, even gloomy. Pixar is known for its ability to render mature themes simply and tastefully, just think of the recent “Soul” (soul). No one could have made Lightyear a dramatic hero better than her.
A separate question – lor. In Toy Story 2, we saw Zurg, who was not only the ranger’s main villain, but also his father (much like Darth Vader and Luke). However, the causes of the conflict remained behind the scenes. The creators had a difficult task – to give a different take on the once-popular character, create a new universe that could develop separately from Toy Story, and make the film interesting for the widest possible audience. Lightyear’s main fans have long since become adults, which means that an entire children’s project would be a mistake.
Storyline
The story begins chaotic – a huge ship, similar to a turnip, transports frozen people to an unknown planet. To check the environment, an automated system defrosts the forest ranger team. From a distance, the plot resembles Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, even the spacesuits are similar. Contrary to expectations, Lightyear is not a leader. The team is led by a lively African-American lesbian who takes up the mission much more easily than the somber and focused Buzz.
The planet is hostile. Aggressive plants and insects live there. The skirmish with the local wildlife is reminiscent of the battle of Warhammer 40,000, plasma swords in place.
During a hasty evacuation, Lighter loses control of the ship and damages the fuel tank, leaving people on the planet.
Failed attempts to recreate the fuel begin. Scientists are experimenting with the formula again and again, but there are no results. At the same time, the settlers develop the settlement and build a semblance of houses and a fence of beetles. We will never be told the reasons for the space odyssey. It looks like about half an hour of exposition has been cut from the cartoon.
There is also a problem with fuel. How scientists are unaware of the make-up of the most important resource is a mystery. It seems that they are trying to explain this moment by the difference between chemical elements and terrestrial elements, but nowhere else does such a problem arise.
A few years later, Buzz is sent on the first experimental flight – a stable fuel sample is said to have been found. But the test fails, in addition, a side effect is discovered – seconds before Lighter turn out to be years on the planet. Again, it’s not clear how this information eluded scientists in the research process.
It is not difficult to predict further events – the adventure will not be fun. As I expected, the story turned out to be mature and serious, and Lighter goes through some real personal drama, albeit in a light format. Pixar again masterfully juggles accents, making the film accessible to children and interesting to adults.
Disrupt the confusion in the eyeballs. We never know anything about the Earth, no one even tries to make contact with it. Lightyear is constantly talking about coming home, but where exactly? The photo desperately lacks the prescribed lore. Either the creators decided to save the details for the sequel, or they just couldn’t come up with anything worthwhile, which is a shame.
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characters
The plot spans multiple time periods at once, so there are quite a few characters this time around. Buzz Lightyear himself appeared as a stern and unsociable soldier. Interestingly, the creators managed to embody in it the main features of an already known toy, adding the necessary humanity. In one and a half hours of timekeeping, the ranger goes through an impressive development process, which partly overlaps with what the plastic Buzz experienced. From a loner, he becomes a team player, begins to appreciate his comrades and does not rely only on himself.
The hero’s lesbian girlfriend has already caused a scandal. The unexpectedly tolerant American society was outraged by the fleeting kiss of two women – so much so that they began to boycott the premiere. It looks strange, there is no emphasis on orientation at all, there is literally a second scene dedicated to it. At the same time, the character turned out to be nice and very emotional. It is the boss of Lightyear who is most concerned about the unsociableness of the hero, he takes care of his mental state and even gives a robot cat – Sox.
The creators decided to cheat and combined the character of a woman and her granddaughter. They look and act like the same person. Interacting with a partner, and then with her granddaughter, is one of the main themes of the cartoon. Through them, Lighter reveals himself not only as a stern soldier, but also as a sensitive and considerate person.
Two other Rangers have been added for the sake of situation comedy. Pixar uses this technique regularly in their movies, and here too. The intentionally silly and caricatured wrecking granny and the clumsy man almost don’t change in the course of what happens, but add saturation to the events. Admittedly, humor didn’t work out so well this time. The jokes are kind of silly, sometimes downright childish.
If you saw a robot cat in the trailer and thought it would be the one with the funniest moments, you guessed it. This is definitely one of the coolest and funniest characters that is sure to make everyone smile. Lightyear has a stereotypical dislike for robots, so Sox’s interaction with the ranger is another interesting theme that runs throughout the cartoon. The hero gradually learns to trust a reasonable machine, showing the wonders of sociability and ingenuity.
The motley crew of heroes is joined by Zurg, who, as expected, acted as a villain. The origin of the character was changed, which only helped. No more Star Wars parallels. The motivation of the antagonist is simple and understandable, you believe in what is happening. From a cardboard robot villain, he turned into a very logical anti-hero, which you can even empathize with.
Action and images
A space thriller cannot do without a large number of action scenes. In general, this part of the cartoon can be praised. The Ranger costume is equipped with a whole arsenal of gadgets that the heroes actively use. It is curious to follow what is happening, although nothing unexpected will happen. A few times Buzz proves that he wears a uniform for a reason. And the moments with the combination of the energy sword and the pistol are beautiful. The famous jetpack only appears in the finale and completes the already familiar image of Buzz from Toy Story.
Separately, I would like to note the graphics. The cartoon is made in Pixar’s usual realistic style. The attention to detail is especially noticeable when traveling through time – the appearance of the ship’s cockpit is constantly changing with the development of technology.
The muted colors only add to the atmosphere of what’s happening, which sets Buzz Lightyear apart from other Pixar films. At the same time, the planet’s appearance could be made more complicated. We won’t see any incredible plants or animals (beetles don’t count). I hope they will show many more wonderful worlds in the second part.
The ranger himself looks strange – a huge round face clearly refers to a toy, but the “living” character looks too caricatured. There are no such problems with other heroes. Models actively communicate and show clear and well-read emotions. There are no complaints about the creators here. And big eyes are a hallmark of all Pixar characters.
“Buzz Lightyear” is a quality project by recognized masters of their craft. This time there is a lot less philosophy, but a lot of action and spaceflight. The cartoon is far from the greatness of Toy Story, but this doesn’t make the project bad. You’ll find out why Space Rangers are cool, get to know the robot cat, and you might want to buy a Buzz action figure. I hope a modest fee doesn’t get in the way of releasing a sequel, the cartoon deserves it.
Are you watching Buzz Lightyear?
Source: VG Times
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.